Tips for a Bench Planer & Jointer

Jointer

• A jointer flattens the bottom of a piece of wood when the wood is passed over a spinning knife that is set into a flat steel or iron bed. The out-feed table is set level with the top of the spinning knife, and the in-feed table is set a small distance lower, determining how much of the wood is sheared off. The levels of the in-feed and out-feed tables on a jointer need to be precisely parallel to avoid the lumber moving up and down as it passes over the jointer. The fence on the jointer needs to be perpendicular to the tables to enable accurate 90 degree corners when the sides of boards are jointed.

Planer

• After passing a board over a jointer, you are left with a board that has a flat bottom but not necessarily a flat top. Passing this board through a bench-top planer shears the rough wood off the top of the board, leaving it with a standard thickness and a smooth top. Unlike the jointer, which is used by pushing the board over the spinning knife, a planer has a power feed that pulls the board through automatically, and the spinning knife is set above the board. Never try to plane off more than 1/16 of an inch at one time, or you risk overwhelming the motor of the planer feed.

Sharpening

• Sharp knives are critical for proper jointer and planer use. Somewhat dull knives will leave a rough, unsatisfactory surface, and truly dull knives are not safe to work with, as they increase the risk of kickback. It is possible to sharpen jointer and planer knives at home by hand, but it isn't easy, and you run the risk of filing more off one knife than another, leading to uneven contact with the wood. Professional sharpeners and many woodworking stores have professional sharpening tools available and can sharpen your jointer and planer knives to fine edges and standardized sizes.

Safety

• Always wear hearing and eye protection when using jointers and planers. Hook them up to a blower for best results and to avoid the risk of splinters and shavings shooting out. NEVER put your hands near the jointer knives or into the planer unless the machine is unplugged from the wall, disengaged from the blower and not in motion.